Classifier.



w. A. BRUNKEB,

CILASSWIER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 191?- 1,265,734. Patented May 14, 1918.

Witnesses i/V/M g/M WILLIAM A. enunm or SALT LAKE clam-innit.

GLASSEIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented May 114, 3918;.

Application filed February 14, 1917 "stein at. 148,589.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. BRUNKER,

- a citizen of the United States, residing in rection only, at all times allowing the shaft I Salt Lake City, county of Salt Lake, and

State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Classifiers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in classifiers, but more particularly has reference to a device of this description for use in the art of 'hydrometallurgy, that serves to dewater or thicken the sand product discharged, as well as t separate the same from the slimes.

The principle of my invention is the auto rnatic raising and lowering of a gravity sand discharge valve suspended from a vertical, floating worm or spiral which is continuously revolved in one direction in a bed of sand settling from suspension.

. A practical method of applying the invention isclearl illustrated in the drawing and fully described herein, the novel features being particularlyv pointed out in the claims which conclude this specification.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a detail of thedriving gear together with its spindle, showing how the spindle is supported by the bed frame; Fig. 3 is a bottom View of the spindle gear; Fig. i is a top elevation of the hanger bearing; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of same Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the vertical shaft; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the moving part of the discharge valve; Fig. 8 is a similar view of the stationary part of said discharge valve; Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the discharge valve.

l is the sand discharge bushing for conveying the sand out of the bottom of the tank; 2 isthe tubular discharge valve that carries the worm propeller 3 rigidly fastened to it and rotates continuously; at is the threaded opening in 2 for screwing in the vertical shaft of square cross-section 5; 6 is the driving gear that rotates the vertical shaft 5; 7 is the spindle hub of the. driving gear, formed with a square bore to receive shaft 5 which is free to move vertically up and down in 7 8 is the bed frame for the gear and pinion and extends across the top of the. tank; 9 is the hanger bearing that serves as both a bearing and guide for shaft 5, and is capable of movingin a vertical dito rotate freely'within it; 10 is the hole formed in two opposite. sides of 9 for the bail connection with the counterweight rope; ll isthe ball-bearing collar locked with the nut 26,.the shaft is formed round instead of square with the hanger bearing; 12 is the ball-race between 9 and 11, carrying the ballbearings; 13 is the guide for the hanger bearing and serves to restrain the latter from rotating or moving sidewise; 1a is the bail rope passing over the sheave 155and connected to the counterweight 16 that counterbalances the vertical shaft 5; 17 is the water level in the settling tank; 18 is the approximate sand level which varies with the tonnage, rising as the tonnage treated increases; 19 is the agitator for keeping the slimes in suspension while the sand settles to the bottom; 20 is the feed inlet; 21 is the slime and water outlet; 22 is the collar for the gear spindle 7, used to restrain the gear from rismg; 23 is the bearing in the bed frame for the gear spindle 2a is the driving pulley; 25 is the settling tank or classifier body of any suitable shape. I In operation, the vertical shaft 5, th

worm 3, and the tubular discharge valve 2 are rotated continuously in.one direction. When the feed is turned into the machine the sand quickly settles out of suspension building up in and around the surface of the worm, which is thereby enabled to gain a firm footing and propel itself up through I the sand, causing the discharge valve 2 to be lifted and uncover the discharge bushing 1 thereby allowing the settled sand to flow out through 1 by gravity. Meanwhile, the

product discharged is maintained at the ignde consistency regardless of the rate of When started up the first time, the machine must beprimed with sand to a sufficient level to partially submerge the wbrm. This bed of sand makes it diflicultfor water or other solution to reach the sand discharge opening. Should the shaft sto rotating, the valve will close and the tank 11 up with semi, ii" the feed is not out oh. Hamever the machine will clear itself eutometicelly to the semi level when the shaft is sterterl rotating again.

The rotating ports suspended in the tens are partially counterbalanced, in order to recluse the load that the Worm must support and. lift. The eilect is to minimize power required for operation, ancl'elso Wear on the worm.

The discharge bushing is projected above the bottom of the so that a smell amount of email is trapped on the tool: bottom to serve as seat for the tubular discharge valve which fits very loosely over bushing. when in the closes position. This tube is revolving continuously While the bushing is stationary. Th relation between the tube and husliin s such that the tube throttles oft all some; discharge until it has risen to e certain point, otter which it allows the some to discharge in gratin-ally increasing quentit until it reaches discharge capacity, T his type of Y: Ye is essential to the successful operation of the machine clescrihetlu classifier er this t pe has numerous slvantages over other machines tlesigiiecl similar Worlt. has eoormous reserve os- 5 a large gravity elisohsrge openv practicable, on account of the throttling action oi valve oncl its hei liifl rinoiple on which *5 e machine 313633- ntes is such that one machine can handle widely varying; tomisgesi Elie o1"- iioor spec-e necessary per i is very small Little power is r iietl to operate the machine so the incl rlcwatereil material is elevated shove the level but {lis- (l by grmi through the bottom of Coon-toreeighti is also it factor down the pow The power re- (}llll((l loes not h the treated but remains eon int. The repsirs iii cutlin impairing the efficiency the machine: Email the sohine is very simple in con struo-tioii and operation" lo general this classifier can he used Whenever it is neoessorj to make a TURF"?- .BPftfflllOZl of sand slime one to tlewoter .l. the SflllCl. can handle mixed in size 11 about i ests/s:

teilings preliminary to steolfizug th m thereby recovering much Water; lwatering and classifying materiel l ed to tuoe mills, hell mills, pebble mills Chilioio mills, line crushing rolls, eta, dewoterihg concentrates for direct loading into ears for shiomeht to the smelter.

Throughout the specification and eloires the term st-tool" is used to designate that portior the material tool to the classifier which will settle readily from suspension.

vertical movement and fitting loosely over:

soicl bushing, seicl valve carrying e Worm pro'oeller rigidly fastened to ssicl tube eiul lly disposed around it, means for i in It ssicl tubular valve, external Weights voifilieo so as to eoiiterhelenee ssitl revolv= relive. '7

A lossiiier comprising settling tools overflow means at the top oisohorge orifice the bottom, a sortie shaft of square cross-section herin at is lower ens. 2t tuloe valve rigidly fsstenetl to seicl tube being formed with a worm or spiral disposed arousal the outsitle remote irom the lower encl, e extending through soicl clischargeorifioe projeoti g of ore the bottom of soicl tenl r port-i i icloserl by soicl tube valve, a gear on pinion for imparting rotary rnoi to said vertical shaft, said gear listing a square hole in the hub to receive said i shaft in such a manner that the t o more vertically Withrespeot iart end its fittings, suitable Bell said Weight snol the sicl she'tt to allow the shaft agitating the solution a so the mony i sills my signature NO subscribing Witnesses,

Willis Weie'ht to counter-balance the i P evin thus tlescrihecl m invention l 

